


Tricera Twins

by UnicornAffair



Series: Emma Gomez-Hart [3]
Category: Power Rangers (2017), Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: A little angst, Alternate Universe - Parents, Ethan and Shelby are Cranscott's kids, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, a little bit of race talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 19:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17873276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: For Billy? Parenting came so easily to him. While Jason? All he felt like he was doing was messing up left and right.





	Tricera Twins

**Author's Note:**

> A little change of pace, but I wanted to introduce what Billy and Jason were up to and WHY they didn't know Kimberly and Trini from the get go. Their paths will cross at some point but I'd rather them meet as parents here as opposed to meeting in high school.
> 
> For reference Shelby and Ethan are a grade below Emma and Gia (and Hazel)

Surrogacy.

Jason and Billy decided that after three years of marriage that it was the time to start looking into having kids of their own. It was something they always talked about, but with Jason getting laid off from his company downsizing...they had to push their plans back. While Jason struggled to get a job in this economy, Billy’s career only skyrocketed. It wasn’t a surprise, he had the most brilliant mind, technology... _innovation_ came to him like a snap of the fingers. Billy climbed the ladder quickly, his paycheck skyrocketing to the point where he could be the sole provider of their family. If Jason stayed at home with their baby...they wouldn’t have to worry about any sort of _daycare._ Billy and Jason went forward with their plan, talking with specialists and found a young woman by the name of Katie Walker to go through with the procedure. Obviously she was well compensated for her part in it all.

It wasn’t the most _romantic_ conception, they didn’t get that luxury...but at the end of the day it didn’t matter how a child came into the world. The world stopped when the two men heard their baby’s heartbeat for the first time on the ultrasound. Though fate, and fertility shots to help get Katie pregnant, had other things in mind for them...for there was a _second_ heartbeat coming through. Jason and Billy were going to be having _twins._

That very night Jason took a photo from the ultrasound to bed, he hadn’t stopped staring at it since the doctors office, “How are you so calm about this?” He asked glancing over to Billy, “I was freaking out at being a dad to _one_ kid and now there’s _two…”_

“Jason this may be the only shot we ever have to be dads” Billy smiled, completely optimistic about the situation. “So, talk it out, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m afraid of messing it all up” Jason confessed, resting his head back to look up at their ceiling. “I can’t even keep my job” He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh, “What if I’m not good enough?”

“I know you’re going through a tough time, but I’m here with you every step of the way” Billy tilted his head to the side, wishing that Jason would stop looking at the ceiling and stop being so down on himself. After all this time, Jason couldn’t see in himself what Billy saw in him. Jason saw himself as a screw up, but Billy saw a man who would never give up even if that meant constantly trying and trying again. “We’re doing this _together”_ Together. Jason, and Billy Cranscott. When the two were married they decided instead of hyphenating their last names that they would combine their names and be their _own_ a family, a _blend._   

The two prepared themselves as much as they could for their big day. Billy treated baby proofing the house and reading up on care materials like a game. He stood in front of Jason as his husband peddled on his exercise bike, showing him flashcards and quizzing him at every opportunity. Once Billy’s paternity leave was up, Jason would be the one in the grind dealing with the day to day. He would have to feel confident in how to feed, how to burp, how to change diapers and put the twins down for nappy nap.

No amount of training and practice would prepare them for the real things. Katie did an amazing job...the twins birth went perfectly. A boy and a girl. Ethan and Shelby. Billy thought it was perfect, they’d have balance, one of each gender. They’d never be left wondering what it would be like to raise one or the other. It was to safe to say, after going through this amount of funds to _get_ them here...these would be their only kids. Jason was the first to hold Ethan, while Billy was the first to hold Shelby. God, they were so little. Jason was so afraid that he would break his little boy with any little movement. All of his nerves were calmed when he looked up to see Billy with their baby girl, smiling wide, beaming with pride. Billy was going to be the _best_ dad a kid could ask for.

Beverly and Candace lived with the two men for the first couple of weeks. Nothing like having two moms to go over the house, really make it was baby proofed and help with the little things to get into the groove of parenting. Billy and Jason weren’t going to be able to sleep through the night for a _long_ time after all. Candace brought a gift, the twins first stuffed animals. A soft baby blue triceratops for Ethan and a soft pastel pink triceratops for Shelby. It was a bit gender normed, but it was a total mom gift. Triceratops were Billy’s favorite growing up, so she wanted to continue the tradition.

“Every parent worries” On the day the two older women left, Beverly embraced her son, _knowing_ what was going through his mind. “No one is perfect, do you hear me? There’s no such thing. We all struggle at the beginning but you’ll figure out what works best for you”

Easier said than done. The newborns were the easiest to deal with, feed ‘em, burp ‘em, let ‘em sleep. Jason got really good at taking care of them when they didn’t move much. When they started to crawl on their own was when the trouble started to hit. Shelby was naturally the curious one, Jason had to keep a good eye on her when changing Ethan. The first time she crawled away from him, Jason called Billy in a panic. Only to find her moments later, holding her pink triceratops and giggling at how silly her dad was.

Biology meant that Ethan and Shelby were a product of Billy and Katie, and boy did that show as the kids were getting older. The two were so interested in _learning_ and things like animal planet and _science._ Ethan picked up television like a sponge and loved to tell Jason fun facts...facts that Jason felt dumb not _knowing._ He was supposed to be the adult here and he knew that both of his children would one day surpass him. Billy was much better at raising two nerdy kids, he was the one that would take them out for Halloween. When the kids were around five they would spend their weekends going to the natural history museum, or the botanical gardens, the zoo. Shelby fell in _love_ with dinosaur fossils and insisted that her daddies buy her everything in the store related to her _future._ As the only girl in the family, she knew how to get whatever she wanted out of her dads.

Jason tried to get Ethan into sports. Football was out of the question, as a former quarterback Jason knew that Ethan would be eaten alive. He wasn’t big enough, and the risk of injury was too high. Billy was _very_ clear on how often concussions happened. So baseball was the next try, Ethan couldn’t throw a ball, or shoot a basket, or kick very well. The boy wasn’t _built_ to be athletic. Jason wanted so badly to be able to connect to his son the way his father did...he wanted to connect to Shelby somehow, but they simply weren’t _interested._ They’d rather read, or play educational games on the computer then sit with their dad and watch _football._ In this family, Billy was the _cool_ dad.

Billy and Jason wanted their two kids to have the best possible chance at a future. They were both brilliant and so they applied to Eastland Academy, non-religious private school that could give them an edge going forward. A biracial, gay, couple with two African American kids were a bit of a shoe in when it came to trying to get more diversity to the fine establishment. Soon Jason and Billy would be buying navy jackets and pants for Ethan and a navy skirt for Shelby. Uniforms were nice, it meant Beverly and Candace didn’t have to buy them _as_ many clothes throughout the year.

First day of first grade, Shelby and Ethan were in the same class and everything seemed like it was going great. The two were excited to have classes, be around other kids their age, these two had a spark for learning and it should be encouraged. Jason noticed an African American woman take _one_ look at him and then _one_ look at Shelby in particular, she frowned and shook her head but she didn’t outright say anything. It made Jason a little on edge for when he arrived to Mrs. Landsdown’s room. Of course. Right where that woman came from.

“Hey you must be Mr. Cranscott” Mrs. Landsdown greeted, oh god, he must’ve been the last to arrive. “And these must be Ethan and…” She had to bite her lip upon seeing Jason’s daughter, but only for a moment “Shelby” _What_ was the big deal? “We’ll start our lesson soon, find an empty seat and introduce yourselves to the others” Ethan looked up to Jason, suddenly nervous about interacting with other kids. Shelby took it all in stride, she reached out to hold Ethan’s hand. They’d go at this, just like their parents would. _Together._

“Okay you were the _second_ woman to give me that look today” Jason lowered his voice, wanting to know _what_ was the problem, as obviously the only blatant thing the two women had in common was the color of their skin. “What? Is it so out there that a white dad has black kids?”

“No, sir, _believe_ me it’s not that” The woman let out a sigh, “You must’ve met Tanya. Oh boy. I’m going to put this lightly...people see you, a well kept very attractive man with a modelesque look…” She had to rub her forehead, trying to think of the best way to say this, “Black hair works _differently_ than yours does so...learn how to style her hair”

 _“Oh”_ He looked to Shelby and cringed, did he really mess it up that badly? He should’ve let Billy do it, like he always did before going to work but he had a big meeting...Jason said he’d take care of it. Shit.

“And please, do not listen to 93.5 around 3 today” Mrs. Landsdown shook her head, “Unfortunately you gave Mrs. Park some pretty good discussion points for her show” Of course. Of course Tanya Park was a _radio dj._ White man can’t do black daughter’s hair, call for your comments. Jason was glad Billy strictly listened to country.

“....God….I’m so sorry”

“Hey, it’s okay” Mrs. Landsdown rested a hand on his arm, “Believe me if anyone understands what’s going on, it’s me. My wife, she’s as white as they come, I love her to death but oh there was a learning curve when we started to date” She laughed at a distant memory, explaining how she had to spend almost an entire _day_ at a hair salon was fun. “If you ever need anyone to talk to. I am here for you, and your husband...Shelby and Ethan.” She squeezed his arm in reassurance, “You’re going to be just fine, this doesn’t make you a bad parent” It sure felt that way.

Jason was embarrassed to make the phone call when he got home, but it had to be done. For her credit, Candace didn’t laugh over the phone. Jason sounded pretty desperate when he asked for her help to learn basic hairstyles. He felt like a complete idiot, of course he was going to mess _something_ up on his kid’s first day. Just another reminder that he struggled to connect with the kids he stayed home with every day.

When Billy came home he wasn’t expecting to see his husband and his _mother_ at the kitchen table. Shelby in a chair as if they were playing beauty school. Ethan of course wanted nothing to do with it. He got the tv to himself without his sister trying to change it to dinosaurs, like hell he was giving that up to his bratty twin. “Um...hi mom, hi sweetie”

“Hey” Jason and Shelby responded at the same time, then had a shared laugh about it.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re playing beauty shop” Shelby grinned enthusiastically, “Granma’s visiting” And when Candace Cranston _visits_ it means, grandma’s _cooking_ for dinner. Something the kids could always look forward to.

“How was your first day?” Billy asked, taking a seat in front of his daughter, and whatever _this_ was. “Did you like Mrs. Landsdown?”

“Mrs. Landsdown is super pretty” Ethan called from the living room. Suddenly interested in the conversation now that _school_ was being talked about. He turned off the tv so he could join the rest of his family at the table.

“Mrs. Landsdown is _very_ married” Jason laughed, so it was easy to confirm that Ethan was into girls.

“She’s really nice” Shelby continued, “I made a friend today”

“Is that so?” Billy didn’t _have_ many friends outside of anime club when he was in high school, so for Shelby to say she has a friend this early on was a good side. “What’s their name?” He asked, not wanting to assume their gender.

“Hayley Park”

 _“Park?”_ Jason’s throat suddenly went dry, Hayley Park as in _Tanya Park_ the radio host’s daughter. “That’s great” So great. Now he _really_ had the pressure to step up his hair game.

“Math is a breeze” Ethan grinned, he was more interested in numbers than people. “I was the fastest in the class”

“Only by like three seconds” Shelby glared at him, she was a competitive one and _hated_ losing. Especially to the likes of her _twin_ brother.

“Woo, better luck next time _loser”_

 _“Hey!”_ Shelby was about ready to straight up tackle her teasing brother. Only _she_ was allowed to be mean when winning after all.

Great. His kids were competitive over _math._ That was definitely Billy. “Hey, hey, calm down.” Jason literally had his daughter’s hair in his hand, “If I mess up this braid I have to start over”

“Uggggggh” Shelby groaned trying not to move, she had already been sitting here for what felt like forever. Jason was a slow learner with chubby fingers.

“Yeah, tough lesson now” Candace laughed, knowing all too well the pain of having textured hair. It was something Shelby, and Ethan if he decided to grow his hair out would have to get used to. “What if we make cookies tonight?”

“Only if it’s oatmeal raisin!” Ethan insisted. Even their choice in _cookie_ was nerdy.

That night while Candace was having fun entertaining the twins with baking, Billy decided it would be the best opportunity to talk to his husband. Something was clearly bothering Jason. “Rough first day?”

“You can say that again” Jason sighed, sitting on the porch was a nice way to get some fresh air. “I told you I wouldn’t be good at this...day one and I mess it up”

“Day one and Shelby has a _friend._ Day one and Ethan is doing better than his entire class at math” Billy sat down next to his husband, a reassuring smile on his face, “I’d say that’s a win. Both of them are _smiling,_ that’s what matters to me”

“Easy for you to say” Jason didn’t mean for that to come out as bitterly as it sounded, his expression softened the moment after he said it, “Sorry...that wasn’t…”

“No, that was something” Billy _knew_ Jason long enough to pick up on when something was _eating_ at him. “What’s wrong? And don’t say nothing because I _know_ that’s not the case...if it’s about the hair that’s...it’s only hair”

“It’s not about _that”_ Well, partly it was about that. Jason could only blame himself for so long about not understanding what it meant to be a black woman, he could never _totally_ understand what it meant to be a black man but he was going to keep trying. “You’re Superdad. The kids look at you like a hero...the way they light up when you get home, they never leave your side” He rubbed the back of his neck, hating to let out his insecurities like this, “I don’t have much to offer them. I don’t _know_ the dinosaurs outside of a T-Rex” Jason shook his head, “Ethan’s never going to be into sports, and Shelby she trips over her own feet. They just feel so far away from me”

“Jason” Billy was shocked, to say the least, that Jason was feeling this way. “They light up when they see me, because I’m not around every hour of every day like _you_ are. They get so excited about science or something you don’t know because that means they can _share_ it with you. They love you Jason, you’re their dad” He nudged his husband’s shoulder, “Nature vs nurture. Raising a kid isn’t _all_ about genetics. You don’t think those kids are like you? You don’t see them the way I do.” Billy was _much_ more observant when it came to his kids, “Shelby has a competitive fire like _no_ one else. You don’t _let_ her win”

“Well, yeah, what’s that going to teach her?”

“That’s all you.” He reassured him, resting a hand on his husband’s knee, “And Ethan? He’s not going to come to me and ask how to dress cool or how to flirt with a girl” Billy laughed, “Or Mrs. Landsdown apparently.”

Jason couldn’t help but laugh at _that_ visual, he needed something light after that day, a breath, a _break._ A reminder that he wasn’t failing his kids. “Thanks Billy…”

“Hey you know” Billy couldn’t help but grin at his idea, “If we make sports about _statistics…”_

“We’re going to have the _best_ scorekeeper Reefside has to offer” Jason would have to set his dream of playing catch with his son aside. Ethan wasn’t _him,_ and Jason would never become Sam...a man that would’ve forced him into it. No, Jason was sure that Ethan and Shelby would likely join the band and that he and Billy would go to high school football games for the _halftime show._ He only prayed for _drumline._ If the kids were going to be interested in band, he hoped it’d be the _cool_ part of band.  

A few days later, Jason was called into Principal Udonna’s office. Mrs. Landsdown and Shelby were both there waiting for him. _Now_ what? It wasn’t _like_ his kids to get into trouble. At _all._ They were the ones who liked _math_ for god's sake. Going to the principal’s office for disciplinary action wasn’t something Jason even saw on his radar. “What’s going on?” He asked, “Is everything okay?” Where was Ethan? When it came to twins, they were a package set and the only one here was Shelby.

“There was an incident” Principal Udonna, an older woman in a white pantsuit, and long red hair sat behind the desk. Trying to remain as calm as possible. “Where it got physical”

 _“Physical?”_ Jason’s alarm bells immediately went off.

“One of the twins classmates, was being a bit of a bully to Ethan on the playground today” Mrs. Landsdown tried to explain, “I stopped it as soon as I could but-”

“Jarrod said the F-word!” Shelby blurted out, totally okay with disclosing the name of the guy that pushed around her twin. Only _she_ was allowed to mess with Ethan after all. “The _bad_ one” She wasn’t going to repeat it, big brown eyes looked up to her father. “He wasn’t making fun of _Ethan.”_

Principal Udonna could pick that up immediately, she sighed leaning back in her chair. “I am so sorry, that kind of _hateful_ language isn’t tolerated here”

Mrs. Landsdown was quick to put in her two cents, “I’d say an immediate suspension should be in order for Mr. Skinner” She tilted her head to the side, as if challenging her boss, “Wouldn’t you?”  

“We’re not here to discuss another child’s punishment” As a principal she needed to try and stay as neutral as possible, but all things considered and the two other _adults_ in the room, “But yes Mrs. Landsdown I would agree. As for Shelby, she will have to go home early today for escalating a fight”

“What did you do?” Jason asked curiously, his mind could be settled knowing that the other kid involved would be getting suspended. All he had to do was take his daughter home for the day.

“I slapped him.” Shelby didn’t appear sorry at all, she folded her arms and nodded her head firmly. “Right across the face”

“You... _slapped_ him?”

Shelby glanced from the principal to her father, shrugging her shoulders, “Weird, huh?”

Jason couldn’t help but smile, he even let out a small laugh. However, this wasn’t a joking matter at all, Principal Udonna and Mrs. Landsdown _both_ gave Mr. Cranscott a look. “Sorry” They didn’t understand what was going through his mind. Shelby and Ethan may’ve got their looks from Katie, their brains from Billy but slapping a bully in the face? Jason was proud that he could say Shelby got that from _him._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed <3
> 
> Definitely had a little inspiration from a Greys Anatomy episode lololol.


End file.
